African Union vows justice for killers of Darfur peacekeepers

SUDAN: UN Security Council members condemned the killing of 10 peacekeepers in Sudan’s Darfur region but failed to agree on a formal statement as the African Union began probing the unprecedented attack.

The weekend attack by a large, organised group of heavily armed fighters who overran the Haskanita camp in around 30 vehicles was the worst assault on the under-manned force since it deployed in July 2004.

“The inquiry is underway and we will make its conclusions public. Those who carried out this attack will be strongly sanctioned,” said Noureddine Mezni, spokesman for the African Union Mission in Sudan (AMIS).

He declined to speculate on who was responsible.

The AU said seven of the dead were Nigerian with the others from Botswana, Mali and Senegal. It said eight people were seriously wounded and the death toll might rise.

Mezni told AFP that three peacekeepers were still missing.

Most of the 57 who were initially reported missing in the raid gradually made their way back to an AMIS camp in North Kordofan near the scene of the attack, apparently unharmed.

Ghana’s UN Ambassador Leslie Christian, who chairs the 15-member Security Council this month, said no agreement could be reached on a formal statement on the attack during Monday’s closed-door session and it was decided to continue the discussions Tuesday.

“The recent attack... was condemned,” Christian said. “There was a demand that no effort should be spared so the perpetrators are brought to justice.”

South Africa’s UN ambassador Dumisani Kumalo said that, according to UN officials, the assailants launched their attack on the base at 7:30 pm, then left and returned at 4:00 am to strike again.

“That’s a very cruel terroristic attack,” Kumalo said. “So we wanted very strong language,” but he added that other members urged caution until more details were known about who carried out the attack.

Sudan’s UN ambassador Abdalmahmood Abdalhaleem Mohamad said it was clear Darfur rebels were responsible.

He blamed some members of the Council who “gave mixed signals to the rebels by singling out only the government for criticism.” Meanwhile The United States on Monday warned both the Sudanese government and rebel groups in Darfur of new sanctions if they continue to flout a ceasefire, after at least 10 peacekeepers were killed.

Washington also called for the deployment as soon as possible of a 26,000-strong joint African Union-United Nations force to take over peacekeeping from nearly 6,000 under-equipped and under-funded AU troops.

The attack on the African Union peacekeepers by a large, organized group of heavily armed men who overran southern Darfur’s Haskanita camp in around 30 vehicles took place on Saturday night, the worst assault on the under-manned force since it deployed in July 2004.

The African Union said eight others were seriously wounded and the death toll might rise.

Condemning the attack, the US State Department called for a full investigation of the raid and wanted the perpetrators brought to justice.

“We remain concerned by recent reports that neither rebel factions nor the government of Sudan are adhering to a ceasefire and we call on all parties to cease hostilities immediately,” spokesman Sean McCormack said.

Khartoum, Tuesday, AFP.